Generally, hockey sticks are comprised of a blade portion and an elongated shaft portion. Traditionally, each portion was constructed of wood (e.g., solid wood, wood laminates,) and attached together at a permanent joint. The joint generally comprised a slot formed by two opposing sides of the lower end section of the shaft with the slot opening on the forward facing surface of the shaft. As used in this application “forward facing surface of the shaft” means the surface of the shaft that faces generally toward the tip of the blade and is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the blade at the point of attachment. The heel of the blade comprised a recessed portion dimensioned to be receivable within the slot. Upon insertion of the blade into the slot, the opposing sides of the shaft that form the slot overlap the recessed portion of the blade at the heel. The joint was made permanent by application of a suitable bonding material or glue between the shaft and the blade. In addition, the joint was oftentimes further strengthened by an overlay of fiberglass material.
Traditional wood hockey stick constructions, however, are expensive to manufacture due to the cost of suitable wood and the manufacturing processes employed. In addition, due to the wood construction, the weight may be considerable. Moreover, wood sticks lacked durability, often due to fractures in the blade, thus requiring frequent replacement. Furthermore, due to the variables relating to wood construction and manufacturing techniques, wood sticks were often difficult to manufacture to consistent tolerances. For example, the curve and flex of the blade often varied even within the same model and brand of stick. Consequently, a player after becoming accustomed to a particular wood stick was often without a comfortably seamless replacement when the stick was no longer in a useable condition.
Notwithstanding, the “feel” of traditional wood-constructed hockey sticks was found desirable by many players. The “feel” of a hockey stick can vary depending on a myriad of factors including the type of materials employed in construction, the structure of the components, the dimensions of the components, the rigidity or bending stiffness of the shaft and blade, the weight and balance of the shaft and blade, the rigidity and strength of the joint(s) connecting the shaft to the blade, the curvature of the blade, etc. Experienced players and the public are often inclined to use hockey sticks that have a “feel” that is comfortable yet provides the desired performance. Moreover, the subjective nature inherent in this decision often results in one hockey player preferring a certain “feel” of a particular hockey stick while another hockey player preferring the “feel” of another hockey stick.
Perhaps due to the concerns relating to traditional wood hockey stick constructions, contemporary hockey stick design veered away from the traditional permanently attached blade configuration toward a replaceable blade and shaft configuration. The blade portion of these contemporary designs employ a blade connection member that is generally comprised of an upward extension of the blade from the heel often referred to as a “tennon”, “shank” or “hosel.” The shafts of these contemporary designs generally employ a four-sided tubular member having a connection portion comprising a socket (e.g., the hollow at the end of the tubular shaft). The socket is configured and dimensioned so that it may slidably and snugly receive the connection member of the blade. Thus, the joint generally is comprised of a four-plane lap joint. In order to facilitate the detachable connection between the blade and the shaft and to further strengthen the integrity of the joint, a suitable bonding material or glue is typically employed. Notable in these contemporary replaceable blade and shaft configuration design is that the point of attachment between the blade and the shaft is substantially elevated relative to the heel attachment employed in traditional wood type constructions.
Contemporary replaceable blades, of the type discussed above, are constructed of various materials including wood, wood laminates, wood laminate overlaid with fiberglass, and what is often referred to in the industry as “composite” constructions. Composite constructions generally comprised a core overlaid with plies of woven and substantially continuous fibers, such as carbon, graphite or Kevlar™ disposed within a matrix material. Contemporary replaceable blades, employing such composite constructions, are typically manufactured by employment of a resin transfer molding (RTM) process, generally involving the following steps. First, a plurality of inner core elements composed of compressed foam, such as polyurethane, are individually and together inserted into one or more woven-fiber sleeves to form an uncured blade assembly. The uncured blade assembly including the hosel or connection member is then inserted into a mold having the desired exterior shape of the blade. After the mold is sealed, a suitable matrix material or resin is injected into the mold to impregnate the woven-fiber sleeves. Thus, the resin is transferred into the mold after the blade assembly is fitted in the mold and the mold is sealed. The blade assembly is then cured for the requisite time, removed from the mold and finished. Experience has shown that the employment of the woven-fiber sleeve material together with the step of impregnating the fiber sleeves in the mold involves considerable expense due to the cure time involved and the costs of the woven sleeve materials employed.
Composite blades, nonetheless, are thought to have certain advantages over wood blades. For example, composite blades may be more readily manufactured to consistent tolerances and are generally more durable than wood blades. Moreover, due to the strength that may be achieved via the employment of composite construction, the blades may be made thinner and lighter than wood blades of similar strength and flexibility.